Fates of Equestria
by Aramil Darkblood
Summary: A great surge of power sends a hero from the world of Amalur to Equestria. What will he learn? Will he tear back fate's claws from this world? M for gore, violence, and steaminess. HEAVY SPOILERS for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Anthro pony AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**(( Hey, everyone. I'm back! With another new story! Note that neither My Little Pony nor Kingdoms of Amalur belong to me. They belong to Hasbro and 38 Studios, respectively. As it says in the description, this will contain HEAVY SPOILERS for the main quest in Amalur, and anthro ponies! If you want a visual to go by, look up SkyKain's My Little Pony fan art. It's what I picture the ponies to look like, at least. XD Anyway, enjoy! ))**_

"You are nothing but dust! Why. Won't. You. DIE?"

The voice roared through every corner of his mind, reverberating in his senses until it was no more. The creature before him snarled, its massive, jagged fangs bared in a permanent snarl. Flames burst from its nostrils with every aggravated breath, and its molten red eyes smoldered with hatred for the mortal before it. The dragon lowered its gaze to the Alfar before it, curiously taking in his soft, almost calm demeanor. How could he be so calm? She had killed him before! He was surely fated to die by her claws again. The Alfar raised his arm, his eyes nearly overflowing with a violet-white light, and blue crystals that formed around the room were suddenly torn from the very earth in which they grew. The dragon's eyes would've widened in fear, if they weren't already so in rage.

"No. NO. NO!"

The voice screeched, a force pushing his mind, attempting to make him stop. But he had already begun his assault, and he would be damned if he let some overgrown worm hold him back with meager pleading. He shifted himself forward and began a dash towards the creature, pummeling its body with the crystals he forced from the ground. Howls and roars of pain and fury filled the cavernous fortress as he leaped from his earthy perch and collided with the dragon, the force of the impact causing it to lose balance and plummet into the infinite chasm below. The crystals followed suit, and the Alfar let loose a breath of relief. He looked around for a moment, at the crystalline growths coming from the walls, floor, and even the ceiling, and for the first time since he awoke to this damned war... he smiled.

The room began to quake. Violently, in fact. The entire fortress shook, crystals and pieces of molten rock falling around him. The dragon's voice echoed in his head again, a laugh followed by a growl.

"Fateless one... You may have prevented me from my breaking free of this prison... But I assure you, this is not my final act. No... You will never see Amalur again. You will never see anyone you hold dear. In fact... You will never know the world after my defeat. This is my final act, Fateweaver. May you forever remember that it was Tirnoch that broke you from this world!"

A pain flashed through him. A pain unlike any he had felt before. He had been stabbed. Shot with an arrow. Burned. Frozen. Shocked. Poisoned. But none of that compared to this pain. It felt as though he was being torn from the very fabric of the world itself. His body enveloped in silver light, he screamed, his body convulsing from the sensory overload. The light blinded him. Tirnoch's roar deafened him. The taste of the sulfurous air choked him. The smell of it brought him to gag. And the pain... Oh, Lyria, the pain...

He felt as though he was flung away. Flung away from Tirnoch. Flung away from Amethyn. And flung away from the world he had just saved. Before realizing it, his vision went black, and his mind soon followed suit.

A bright light and whispers brought him into consciousness yet again. The Dokkalfar stirred and groaned as his senses slowly returned to him. The first thing he felt was... softness. He was in a bed. A rather comfortable bed, at that. Then the ache came. If anything, he was grateful that he could still feel the ache. It reminded him he was alive. Then the light. The Belen-cursed light. He tried to move his arm to cover his eyes, but he found it wrapped in a blanket. So that was the warmth, he thought.

"He's waking up! Get Twilight!" Came a soft, feminine voice in a hurried whisper. A soft padding of... wait... clopping of... hooves... could be heard, followed by a door opening and shutting. He turned his head away from the light, unable to withstand the blinding he received. He was quickly greeted by a loving shadow over his eyes. It was then he began to flutter them open, though his vision was heavily blurred. He wasn't surprised, given Tirnoch's mental assault...

Tirnoch...

He heard the door opening and closing again, this time two sets of hooves clopping in. He felt the shadow grow darker. Someone was standing over him. His eyes began to focus as he fully opened them, but it was a slow process. His pupils dilated and shrunk, over and over, trying to adjust to the level of ambient light. He saw a figure standing beside him, the one watching him. He could see a feminine figure, but something was amiss. He could see a... tail. It looked like a horse's tail, its dark blue coloration split by a streak of violet and pink. And her clothing... her trousers were a strange shade of blue, and looked rough to the touch. They hugged her hips and legs, the legs of the trousers falling to the floor loosely. He groaned and rolled to look up, wanting to see the face of the woman standing over him. Her shirt was plain white, hugging her chest and falling around her stomach. The sleeves were cut short, just about at the middle of her upper arm, which was coated in... purple fur. He blinked twice, making sure he was seeing correctly before looking up to her face.

If he weren't the polite Dokkalfar he was, his jaw would have dropped.

Her face held a slight similarity to a horse, but only in that instead of a plain, rounded face like the races of men, or more angled features of Alfar or Fae, a slight muzzle was present. A pair of violet eyes gazed down at him, and just above them was a line of hair, the same color as the woman's tail. In the middle of her forehead, a... horn. A lighter violet than her coat, but a _horn_. Her ears perked up at the sides of her head, and a smile graced her features.

"Thank Celestia, you're awake!" She said happily before her horn began to glow with a soft purple light. A chair floated from the corner of the room, and she sat down. The Alfar blinked away his confusion, slowly adjusting himself to sit up. A pain burned in his side, but he pushed past it, allowing the blanket to fall from his torso. The cool air against his bare skin felt wonderful, though it presented a small problem. Wherever he was, and whoever this woman was, he was in, presumably, her bed in nothing but his underclothes. The bare dark grey skin of the Alfar was a stark contrast to the coated... horse-folk that looked to inhabit this place. He brushed his black hair from in front of his eye and looked up to the woman, still smiling kindly at him.

"I... Where am I?" He asked, his voice groggy. It hurt to talk. It burned his throat. An aftertaste of sulfur came. He hated it. It would pass soon, hopefully. He brushed past his ears. They were still there. Pointed back, long, slender, capable of picking up the most subtle rustle of grass. He had no doubt that his angled features were in a look of confusion as he spoke, but he hoped she would understand.

"You're in Ponyville. My friend found you unconscious in the an alley, and brought you here. She was worried about taking you to the hospital, so we nursed you back to health," she said. Her voice was calm, something he enjoyed.

"How long was I..."

"You were out for three weeks since we found you. But every once in a while, you would have these nightmares. You were screaming... Something about 'fate will not have you,'" she explained, but the realization of how long he had been asleep had set in immediately. Three weeks? In a place he didn't know? He blinked again, looking to the woman.

"You... You are very kind, miss. Most people in Amalur would have left me to die..." He began, but noticed the strange look of confusion on the face of the woman.

"Amalur? We're in Equestria. But that would explain your different... appearance compared to everyone else," she murmured, her eyes set in thought. He took that moment to look around the room. The walls were shelves, set with row upon row of books. Even the Scholia Arcana couldn't boast this many volumes, and it was one of the greatest places of learning in all of Amalur! As he looked up, he came face-to-light with what was blinding him earlier. He shielded his eyes, and noticed it... wasn't a torch. It wasn't a candle. It wasn't even a ball of mana. It was a strange... bulb, he thought it looked like. And light was pouring forth from it, brighter than any torch. He noticed a strange cone above it. Perhaps to focus the light from the bulb towards him in an attempt to awaken him, he thought. But the device was... strange. He'd never seen anything like it. He looked back to the woman sitting beside him, noticing that her look of thought had returned to the polite smile.

"Anyway, I'm Twilight Sparkle," she said, extending a hand to him. He thought it peculiar, that with the clopping of hooves he'd heard earlier, these people would have hands like other races, but he paid it no mind. And her name... Perhaps it was a tradition in this land of... Equestria.

"My name is Caerwyn. It is a pleasure to meet you, miss Sparkle," he said, taking her hand. Twilight blushed and laughed nervously.

"Please, just call me Twilight. Everyone else does," she said, a twinge of nervousness evident to the Alfar. He thought it endearing, but he had no time for such thoughts.

"Very well, Twilight. Now, would you please be so kind as to..." He pointed to the light device above him, "Explain to me what in Lyria's name that contraption is?" Twilight blinked. She blinked again.

"That's a light," she said plainly. But Caerwyn's expression remained perplexed. This was commonplace? Why wasn't this device in Amalur? Scholars and workers would do well to have this! But the clothing... The 'light'...

"Twilight, how long was I unconscious?" He asked as calmly as he could. Twilight gave him a strange look, one he couldn't make out.

"Three weeks. Why?" She asked. Caerwyn brought a hand to his chin. Three weeks? That couldn't have been enough time for a rogue Tuatha to... "You were wearing some sort of armor. And you had a sword. It was strange, it looked like it was made of..."

"Prismere," he said, his thoughts slowly beginning to piece together. The pain... Tirnoch's last words to him...

_**"May you know forever that it was Tirnoch that broke you from this world!"**_

__Realization hit him hard. Tirnoch had made good on her final act. He wasn't in Amalur. Amalur never existed here. Men, Alfar, Fae... None of them existed. Tirnoch never existed. The Erathi never existed.

"Twilight... I know this is going to sound... odd. But I need you to listen to me. I'm not from this world. Equestria is a place I've never heard of. You... I've never seen anyone like you. No one I... knew had ever seen anyone like you. And, from what you said before, I can assume no one in Equestria has ever seen a Dokkalfar..."

"A Dokkal-what?"

"Twilight, dear, the man's clearly exhausted. Whatever happened to him must have left him in a state of shock," a sophisticated voice came from behind Twilight. The sound of clopping hooves coming closer to him caused him to look around Twilight. Not only were his arms and armor nowhere in sight, which he would need to remedy later, but another woman was approaching him. Her body was much more slender than Twilight's, and she was clad in a stunning black dress that fell past her knees. Her coat was the purest white, and her hair and tail were a deep indigo, styled in lovely curls, and a white horn, the same length as Twilight's pointed, from her forehead. Her crystal blue eyes looked towards him and she smiled.

"Hello, dear. My name is Rarity," she said, extending a dainty hand to him. By the look of her fingers, he could tell she was a tailor. The dress was perhaps one of her own design. Her gracefully took her hand, his Dokkalfar social nature kicking in.

"Caerwyn. Charmed," he said calmly, a smile that had set many a lady's heart aflutter spread across his lips. Rarity smiled right back, a smile that he could tell would drive a man wild as soon as he saw it. It was going to be interesting, speaking with her.

"Now, what in Celestia's name are you talking about, dear? Dokkalfar? Another world?" She asked, a blue glow shining from her horn as another chair floated over for her to sit on. The Alfar hesitated. Alyn Shir was quite clear about what she would do to anyone should he tell them the truth about what transpired in Amethyn. But... If he was the only one from Amalur these two had ever seen, perhaps she was still looking for him in the aftermath of whatever happened after his violent ejection from the world. Still, it couldn't hurt to be safe. He didn't wish the people who save him to die because of loose lips.

"I'm afraid I can't go into too much detail. My memory of what transpired before I awoke is rather hazy," he lied, "But I come from the land of Amalur. The Faelands, to be exact. A war waged between the immortal Fae of the Winter House of Vengeance and all who opposed them..."

"That doesn't make sense. The last war in Equestrian history was between the three tribes, and that was far before any recorded history here," Twilight murmured, her eyes lowered. "And immortal... Fae? What does winter have to do with anything?" She continued her murmurings.

"I'll explain that later. It will take a long while to explain that pseudo-feudal system the Fae have," he sighed, "The House of Vengeance believed a new god was being born beneath the palace of the Winter Court. This god demanded they eradicate the young races, and whoever got in their way. I was thrust into the war. The last thing I remember is... fields of Prismere. I cut my sword from the growths that forced themselves through the land. Our army was about to march on the enemy encampment... They gave the order... And then nothing. Everything goes black." The last part was a lie. He knew full well what happened when that fateful battle began. Twilight hummed to herself and looked to Rarity, who nodded to her.

"It sounds like quite an ordeal. I'll write to the Princess in a minute. But first... I want to try something. Do people in Amalur believe in fate?" She asked, shifting forward in her chair. Caerwyn forced himself to remain calm. Fate, or lack thereof, was what put him in this position in the first place. He nodded to her.

"Yes. And it's not just a belief. Everyone in Amalur is bound to a fate. It is part of them from the moment they are born," he said, which brought a sigh of relief from the violet woman.

"Good. I'm going to try reading your fate. Maybe I can look into your past and help you put the pieces together," she said before her horn began to glow again. Her eyes met his for a brief moment, and he could tell she didn't believe what she saw. She tried again. And again. Still, she saw the same thing. She looked over to Rarity in disbelief.

"I'm definitely writing to the princess," she said curtly. Rarity blinked and looked to her friend in concern.

"What's wrong? What did you see?"

"What did I see? I didn't see anything! Nothing at all! If his people are bound to fate like he said, then I should see something, right? But I don't! It's a big black void where I should be able to see the threads of fate around him..."

"Twilight, allow me to explain," said Caerwyn sternly, "This is no coincidence. It is not a fluke. There is... one thing I left out of my story. It explains my lack of fate."

"It shouldn't! No one can be free of fate! Even the Princesses are bound to its weave! It shouldn't..."

"Twilight. I died."

Twilight stopped speaking and stared at him incredulously. Even Rarity, who he could tell was ladylike, found herself gaping at his proclamation.

"The first thing I remember is waking up in a pile of corpses. I was in the middle of a cavern. The Winter Fae were invading. As I fought my way out, I met a man who seemed surprised to see me. He told me I was one of the corpses in the pile. No signs of life, no movement. I was cold and dead. Apparently, he and his employer had been working on a project to reverse death itself. I was its first success," he explained calmly, "The Fae destroyed it, but not before I escaped. Every Fateweaver I visited said the same thing you did. I have no fate. None. It shouldn't have happened. I wasn't meant to return to life, but I did. My resurrection may have been what caused me to be torn from fate's weave." Twilight and Rarity kept staring at him, but a new form was approaching.

Caerwyn looked up to see another young woman approaching him. She was a slim young girl, dressed in a heavy blue sweater and the same type of trousers Twilight wore. Her coat was a pale yellow, and her hair and tail were... pink. Both were a shade of pink. Her green eyes met his for a moment before looking away. But he couldn't see a horn on her head, like Twilight and Rarity. Instead, coming from her shoulder blades, he could see a pair of wings folded against her back. It captivated him, but he could tell she was uncomfortable with him gawking at her. Rarity snapped out of her disbelief and looked back at the woman, who shrank from her gaze.

"It's okay, Fluttershy. He won't hurt you. You can join us, darling,"she said softly, causing the shy young woman to slowly approach the bed. She didn't bring a chair with her, but remained standing near the bed. Caerwyn smiled at her, a kind, soft smile that he thought would help bring her out.

"Fluttershy, is it?" He asked softly, bringing a flinch from the girl.

"Y-yes..."

"There's no need to be nervous. I won't attack you. I won't attack anyone here, for that matter." He could see her easing closer, but maintaining her distance. He smiled and looked back to Twilight, who had a look of stern concentration on her face.

"We're going to Canterlot."

"What?" Rarity blurted out, looking to her friend with a shocked stare.

"I'm writing to the princess, and when she responds, we're going to Canterlot. She'll be able to explain this. I'm sure of it," Twilight said with a grin. Caerwyn blinked. Canterlot? Was it the capital city? He looked down at himself.

"Well, if we're going anywhere, I'll need clothing."

_**(( I promise I'll update the other two soon, but I've had this idea swimming around for a long time. When Kingdoms of Amalur came out, I pretty much dumped Skyrim to play it exclusively. This idea popped into my head, and I just had to write it. I hope you all enjoty! Remember to leave a review! I subsist on that stuff! ))**_


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day had been filled with preparations to leave for... wherever Canterlot was. Rarity had taken the liberty of taking his measurements while he was unconscious and had custom-made clothing for him, which consisted of a pair of trousers, much like the ones Twilight and Fluttershy wore, and a black shirt that cut off at his upper arm. They were encrusted with gems, and Caerwyn had made several attempts to pay her for these stunning garments. She said she would have none of it, though, stating that the clothes were a gift to him. One thing that was missing, though, was a pair of boots. He had a feeling that the people here had no need for boots of any kind, having hooves. But he couldn't well travel the distance to Canterlot in his bare feet. After a moment of fussing with the button and 'zipper,' as they called it,Twilight informed him that his pack was in another room, and she found strange articles that were shaped like his feet. He went and slipped his feet into them, feeling the comforts of home as he did.

As he spotted his sword in the corner of the room, he swiftly pulled it and strapped it over his shoulder. The beautiful blood-red crystalline blade was still in perfect shape, sharp as the day he had forged it When the girls had attempted to dissuade him from such potentially incendiary action, he merely replied that it helped him feel safer. He didn't know where he was going, and he couldn't afford to not take precautions. Fluttershy seemed to understand, knowing that he came from a conflict that required him to be ever vigilant. While he ruffled through his pack, finding things he felt he needed later; his coin-purse, a gem to focus his magic (which Twilight was ever curious about, being an avid student of magic, herself), and a few philters of potion to keep his magic functional.

He slipped the gem and his coin-purse into what he learned were the pockets of his trousers before turning to Twilight, giving her notice that he was ready to depart. She had wrote ahead to the princess, as she said she would, and received a reply ordering her to Canterlot as soon as she was able. She had Rarity inform three others, more friends that were acquainted with the princess that she wanted him to meet. A few moments later, he met the incredibly energetic Pinkie Pie, who was dressed in a pink short dress. She greeted him, invited him to a party, and asked everything she could about him in one breath. Her blue eyes sparkled with life, which brought a smile to his face. He also noted that she had neither wings nor a horn, which led him to believe that there were three sub-races of Equestrians, as Twilight called themselves.

A moment later, the window opened, and a cyan, winged woman climbed through before closing it behind her. Her trousers were torn, and her body was lean and well-toned, leading him to believe that her flight was her strong suit. She wore a white sleeveless shirt, showing her well-defined arms. Her rainbow hair and tail, along with her rose-colored eyes, were intriguing to him. Her name was Rainbow Dash. A fitting name for one so athletic and... colorful. She challenged him to a race several times, each of which he declined, if only because of his present condition and an unfamiliar environment. She boasted being the fastest flier in Equestria, which caused him to chuckle.

Then there was Applejack. A woman with a rich orange coat of fur and long hair and tail were styled back with a bun at the end. She wore her farm clothing, which consisted of a pair of overalls, made from the same material as his trousers, and a plain white shirt with cut-off sleeves. From how she was panting, he could guess that she came from work at the farm. Her rich green eyes met his, and he could sense honesty in them with everything she said. Admirable, he thought, but honest to a fault? He couldn't tell. She offered him dinner at her family's apple orchard when they returned from their trip to Canterlot, which he accepted graciously. The food here could prove to be a different fare compared to the trail rations he had grown accustomed to.

As he watched them prepare, he couldn't help but feel that they were dressing a bit too casually for a meeting with royalty, with the exception of Rarity. He felt far underdressed compared to when he met Fae kings. And they each strapped a blade to their hip, one that was elegant, but wicked. He was about to ask about both points, but Twilight explained that, since she was the princess' personal protege, she and her friends knew her on a personal level, and their attire was acceptable. As for the weapons, it was customary for the princess' student and her accompaniment to carry ceremonial swords while visiting their royalty. He dared not question anything, as he was far too new to this land to know any better. He merely shrugged his shoulders and followed them from the room, and down the stairs. Each and every wall of the building were stacked high with books. He asked Twilight, as she seemed to be the most knowledgeable of the six, and she stated that she lived within the town library, arranged by the princess herself. It seemed incredible, but he realized that if Twilight was truly the princess' personal student, she would be given every right she could.

The time it took to leave the library was filled with banter between the six friends, with Caerwyn hanging back and listening in. As the door opened, however, he was unprepared for what he saw.

Instead of a field of grass and trees, there was naught but stone. The ground was made of grey rock, while ahead lay a large, even strip of rough black. A sudden noise pierced his ears, and he was forced to take a step back. Strange metal... he wanted to call them chariots, but they lacked any beast to pull them, raced along the black. The sounds they made were unnatural. They made him uneasy. The stone made him uneasy. He had seen the stonework of Adessa and Rathir, surely, but this was far different. The buildings reach higher than he thought possible, but they were not connected. No, each building was its own. Homes, shops and other services all made their place in these buildings, and occasionally, one of the metal chariots would stop and pull to the side of the black, a door opening on the side and its driver stepping out, walking onto the grey and into a building.

"By Lyria..." he murmured, the sights and sounds of this new world threatening to overwhelm him. The six turned to see him, wide-eyed and attempting to take in the sights.

"What, is this your first time in the city?" Rainbow asked, instantly getting a giggle from the pink girl, who bounced over to her.

"Dashie, don't be silly! Weren't you listening to Twilight? She said he's from a different world! They might not have cars or lights or roads or..." She let out a long gasp. "They might not have sweets! That would be terrible if they didn't have sweets! But it would be wonderful now, since he could have sweets here!" She suddenly turned to face him, face-to-face with the Dokkalfar. "Do you have any sweets in Am... Ama... Wherever you're from?" Her blue eyes filled with hope. If he didn't or if he did, he couldn't tell.

"I'm afraid I'm not certain. I wasn't able to take enough time to sample the local fare of the land, what with the war..."

"Oh, it's okay! I made some cupcakes for the road! They're in my car," she said happily, her large, poofed hair bouncing with her. Caerwyn tilted his head.

"Car...?"

"Those things zooming around out on the street! See? Look at how fast they are!" She said excitedly, pointing to each car as it passed by. The Alfar tried to make sense of it.

"But... How do they... move? They look rather cumbersome..." he began, but Twilight cut him off.

"Magic here in Equestria has been used for hundreds of years. From mundane tasks to great experiments, we've had magic for... as long as we can remember. Only unicorns can use it, though," she saw the look of utter confusion on his face, "Equestrians with horns. There are three sub-races of Equestrians. Unicorns, like Rarity and I, have horns and are able to use magic. Pegasi, like Rainbow and Fluttershy, have wings. And earth folk, like Pinkie and Applejack. They may not have wings or horns, but they are stronger and quicker on their feet than the others." Caerwyn nodded, understanding why Applejack was able to farm in a place like this, and how Pinkie could be so... quick. "Magic is able to power what are called engines, which are what power the cars and drive them forward." The Alfar nodded, watching as the cars sped along the road.

"Speakin' of, Twi, mah pick-up's in need of a tune-up. Mind helping me out when we all get back?" asked Applejack. Twilight smiled at her friend, nodding politely.

"Of course, AJ. Happy to help," she said happily, "Now, we should get going. My van's out back."

It took a few moments to get to the large field of stone, where Twilight's van was the only car in sight. She climbed in one side in the front, and Pinkie climbed in the other side, holding up a tin with eight pastries. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy climbed into the second row of two seats, and Caerwyn, Applejack and Rarity found their way into the final row of three. The girls let the Alfar in first, allowing him access to the window. Perhaps watching the world go by as they traveled would calm his nerves some.

"Okay, everyone ready?" Twilight asked as the car roared to life.

"Wait! Everyone needs their cupcakes! And I need to hear what Caerwyn thinks!" Pinkie cried out, quickly handing Twilight a cupcake, taking one for herself before handing the tin back to Rainbow Dash. She took one for herself and offered another to Fluttershy, who gingerly took it from her friend's grasp. Dash held the tin out to Applejack, who took it and a pastry before handing it down to Rarity. She then gave it to Caerwyn, who eyed it not with suspicion, but with confusion. It was the most colorful food he'd ever seen. The pastry itself was a dark brown, and a strange layer or soft. pink... fluff settled on top. There were small spots of red, blue and green speckled around the fluff.

He looked up to see the girls looking at him, Pinkie nearly bursting with excitement. They had all set their food aside for later in the journey, but they wanted him to take a bite before they left.

"Ain't ya never... Ah, right. Peel the paper off tha bottom, there, and then take a big ol' bite!" Applejack encouraged, causing Caerwyn to look it over again. Sure enough, there was a layer of multi-colored paper around the bottom of the foodstuff. He slowly began to peel it back, revealing more of the dark brown pastry. When it had come off, he slowly brought it to his lips, unsure of how to eat it. Did he take a large bite, like Applejack said? Pinkie seemed to agree, and he opened his mouth, taking a bite of the cupcake and the fluff.

He nearly choked, it was so sweet. But in a good way. The flavors were wonderful, and the pastry was wonderfully moist. He chewed slowly, savoring the morsel before swallowing and looking up to Pinkie.

"That... Is much better than any food I remember eating. By far," he exclaimed, causing Pinkie to squeal in happiness. The girls all laughed, and Twilight set her gaze to the road ahead. Suddenly, they began to move. The Alfar's fist clenched. Moving without conscious effort was... unsettling, to say the least. And the first time the car turned, it nearly threw him over. Luckily, the side of the car was there to keep him steady. He heard Applejack chuckle.

"Why, Ah've never seen a grown man so scared outta his wits," she teased, bringing an aggravated look from Rarity.

"Be polite, dear. There must be nothing like this where he's from," she chastised, causing another chuckle from Applejack.

"Sorry, Rare. Ah just ain't used ta this, is all."

The ride continued with more conversations between the six friends, with Caerwyn slowly becoming accustomed to the movement of the car. It was then that he noticed... sound. Not the engine. He'd heard that before. But it sounded like... music. It was unlike any he'd ever heard, though. Heavy beats, dark pulses... it was something he could grow to enjoy. Rarity looked over to see him gazing around the car, trying to locate the source of the sound. His hearing may have been sharp, but the music was coming from all around.

"What's wrong, Caerwyn?" She asked, snapping him from his reverie.

"That music... Where is it coming from?" he murmured, still looking around the cabin of the car. Rarity couldn't help but let a polite laugh out.

"My dear, it's coming through the radio. It's a device that lets music travel from one place to another through magical waves in the air. If you want more information, you should talk to Twilight. I only know so much about these things," she said, laughing at her own words. Suddenly, Pinkie turned around in her seat.

"Sing us the song of your people, Caerwyn!" She squealed, earning a gasp from most of the other girls, with Dash falling into a fit of laughter.

"Pinkie! How insensitive! You apologize to him right-"

"It's fine, Rarity. I'm afraid I don't know any Dokkalfar songs, I know many Summer Fae ballads. Perhaps I could share one with you?" Caerwyn received an enthusiastic nod from Pinkie, and a yes from the other girls, even Fluttershy looked over her seat to see him. He nodded and cleared his throat, recalling the words to the ballad he knew so well.

"_**Sir Sagrell was a clever rogue**_

_**Of great and merry cheer.**_

_**Oh, come and listen to the song**_

_**Of he who had no fear,**_

_**Of he who we hold dear.**_

_**Two times he drank his weight in wine**_

_**And many lovers pleased,**_

_**And drunk from such idle pleasures,**_

_**With lethargy was seized;**_

_**On beds of grass he eased.**_

_**A sudden sound and fearsome roar**_

_**Awoke our hero from his rest.**_

_**The Maid of Windemere had called**_

_**The Grave Thresh from its nest**_

_**To have at her behest.**_

_**Sir Sagrell approached the spirit**_

_**Deep within Gorguath.**_

_**He slashed its wicked stalk and root**_

_**Safely from beyond its wrath;**_

_**Slyly from a side path.**_

_**And thusly, Sir Sagrell did slay,**_

_**And thus, the Thresh was dead.**_

_**But from the heart of Gorguath**_

_**Came two beasts in its stead;**_

_**Woke two beasts from their bed.**_

_**Two times did Sir Sagrell struggle**_

_**Two times he swore an oath:**_

_**'I'll leave your wretched corpses here'**_

_**As he battled them both**_

_**Amidst the undergrowth.**_

_**And, that morn, a figure emerged,**_

_**A lone and single Fae.**_

_**He sauntered past the gathered crowd**_

_**And turned to them to say,**_

_**'I think I'll rest today.'"**_

__As he concluded his ballad, he could see the girls looking back at him, with the exception of Twilight, whose vision was focused on the road ahead. Rarity was the first to speak.

"My... By Celestia, that was wonderful. Wherever did you learn it?" The question brought murmurs of agreement with it. Caerwyn leaned back in his seat and smiled.

"The Summer House of Ballads. During my time with them, I learned many ballads, and earned the respect of a race that normally holds themselves much higher than men or Alfar," he stated. Fluttershy sank back down and looked out her window, while Dash and Pinkie looked at him for another moment before doing the same.

"We're pulling into Canterlot, everyone!" Twilight called out happily, breaking the silent spell that had broken throughout the car. Rarity let out a pleased squeal as she looked out the window with Caerwyn, obviously ready to explain the delights of the city to him.

What he saw nearly brought him to madness.

What buildings he saw in Ponyville were only half as tall as the edifices in Canterlot were. He had to crane his neck to see even half their height. Rarity smiled at him and nodded.

"Welcome to Canterlot, dear. Capital city of Equestria, and home to our royalty, along with much of the wealthy and important Equestrians of our society," she said, walking as he continued to soak in the scenery. The buildings dwarfed any he'd seen constructed in Amalur. Even the Prismere that pierced the ground in Alabastra paled in comparison to the sheer height of these structures.

The next few moments passed rather quickly as Twilight made her way through the city, eventually arriving at the most extravagant building of all. It wasn't that tall, certainly, but the stonework was remarkable. Caerwyn's jaw nearly dropped. This beat the Orbocant's palace in Rathir by a long shot.

"Here we are!" Twilight's voice rang out, and everyone began getting out of the car. Caerwyn was last, being in his current position away from the door. Only after Fluttershy slipped from the cabin did he manage to struggle his way to freedom. His feet meeting the still ground was a welcome change to the motion he'd experienced over the last few hours. He looked up at the beautifully crafted stone of the building before following the girls inside. Guards stood in lines on either side of the expansive marble corridor, yet keeping an eye on him. Some did a double-take when they first saw him, wanting to make sure they had seen true. The Alfar snickered. The last time he'd turned this many heads was when he walked into a tavern full of Fateweavers.

A guard held out his hand towards him, regarding the Alfar coldly.

"I'm afraid you'll need to leave your weapon here, sir," he said sternly. Caerwyn made to protest, but Twilight stepped in front of him.

"Don't worry, general. He's with me. We can keep him in line," she explained, smiling back to the Alfar. The large man nodded and stepped away, allowing the party to continue.

A large, golden door opened before them, revealing the largest, most grand room he'd ever seen. The floors and columns decorating the room were made from the purest marble. Gold trim snaked its way around the room, up the walls, and to the high, vaulted ceiling. The Alfar gazed about the room before following a trail of deep blue carpeting forward, up the stairs, and to two thrones.

On a large, golden throne sat a gorgeous woman. She was clad in a white dress that seemed to flow about her form, matching the hue of her coat perfectly. Her mane and tail were multi-colored, as ethereal in appearance as her dress. Her horn was much longer than Twilight's or Rarity's, but she also had... wings. Beautiful, white wings. She regarded him with a pleasant, warm, welcoming smile. To her left, on a dark throne, sat another woman. Her dress was as blue as the night sky, as was her coat. Her mane and tail flowed from her, small starlights visible within its form. She, too, had a long horn and wings, though she regarded the Alfar more distantly than the other. The six friends each took a knee before the two. The Alfar followed suit with a graceful bow, one he used to greet the Orbocant when he met with them. The woman in white rose, motioning the others to stand and for him to straighten.

"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. It is lovely to see you again," she said, her soothing voice echoing throughout the chamber. She slowly approached the group, while Twilight rushed forward. The two embraced for a moment before Twilight pulled away, a big grin on her face. The woman turned to face Caerwyn, who nearly froze. "And this must be the one you wrote to me about." She approached him, offering her hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Caerwyn. I am Princess Celestia, sovereign of this land of Equestria." Caerwyn took her hand graciously, bowing again.

"It is an honor, your Grace," he replied, glad he had spent his time among the Fae courts. Celestia let loose a slight laugh at that.

"Please, if you must use any formalities, call me Princess," she stated as he stood straight. He nodded and gave a pleasant smile.

"Of course, Princess," he said, earning another laugh from the princess.

"He's quick, Twilight. Much quicker to pick up than you were when I first started with your lessons," she teased, causing the aforementioned unicorn to scratch the back of her head and laugh nervously. Caerwyn chuckled and looked to Twilight. "Now, I assume you know why Twilight brought you here?" She asked. He knew full well why they had asked to see him so quickly.

"Because I'm not from this world?" He asked, testing the waters. Celestia shook her head. "It is because she could not see my fate, yes?" Celestia nodded.

"You see, Twilight is one of the most gifted fate readers in all of Equestria. Her talent is second only to mine and my sister's. If she cannot see your fate, then there must be something special about you. Now, hold still..." Her horn began to glow as she looked into his eyes. Her face shifted to confusion, and then to shock. She motioned to the other woman in the room, presumably her sister, who approached quickly.

"My sister, Princess Luna," Celestia introduced Caerwyn.

"Charmed," Luna chimed before her horn began to glow. Her face followed the same path as Celestia's, and the two looked to each other before turning their gazes to the Alfar.

"This is... I don't know what it is. Disturbing. Incredible. Unheard of, definitely," she murmured, drawing a concerned Twilight forward.

"What did you see?" She asked.

"Nothing. A void. But more than that..." Celestia began, "When we tried to peer into his future we saw nothing but a shifting sea of fate. He isn't bound by the threads of fate. He doesn't have a set destiny. Whatever happens is what he _chooses_ to happen," she took a breath, "And since he is outside of fate's weave, he is outside of fate's entire plan. This doesn't affect him..."

"It affects everyone around me," Caerwyn finished solemnly. Celestia looked to him incredulously. "It was the same before, in Amalur. I made decisions that not only affected me, but so many people. Many lives were hanging in the balance of my choices. I only hope I chose correctly," he said softly, blinking as Celestia placed her hand upon his shoulder.

"It is the only thing we can do. We hope. You are special, though. I'm willing to bet you saved more lives than you know," she said with a smile. Caerwyn tried to force a smile, but failed.

"I'm afraid I took more lives than I saved. The war... So many Fae sent to their deaths by my hands... They weren't fated to die. They were fated to win the day. But I stopped them. I cut their lives short, and while it felt right at the time... I do not know anymore," he stated solemnly, bringing Twilight in front of him.

"They were going to exterminate your entire race, right?" She asked, causing the Alfar to nod, "Then you did the right thing. You saved more lives than you cut away. And while that is a horrible thing, you can't let it get the best of you. You're no monster. You only did what you thought was right," she said soothingly, causing him to smile and embrace her suddenly.

"Thank you, Twilight. You're right," he murmured before letting her go, noticing the massive pink spots along her cheek. Celestia laughed loudly at this before turning her attention to the Alfar.

"She is a wonderful student. She's learned well," she praised, bringing the hot blush on Twilight's cheek to burn even hotter with pride. The Dokkalfar smiled at both of them before Celestia spoke again.

"Now, tell me of your people."


End file.
